Monsters
by Damaged Ghost of an Angel
Summary: A new school, new town, new friend. Same family, same life, same pain. AU


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Monsters

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. I do own my brain, though. It's the only thing I own by myself, and the one thing that no one can take from me, so don't try.

Hi ya'll!! So, my friend and I are writing this. It's AU and we go ooc for some of the characters, but I'm trying to keep it normal. Gaara is more of the Shippuudden Gaara, Temari is from Shippuuden as well, while Naruto, Kankuro and most of the rest of them are the same as always. Sorta. . .

So. . . I got a review that pointed out some mistakes that I had made. It was a very nice, constructive critique. Thank you for it. I have fixed my mistakes. Thank you to FreedomWrighter for your help!

Hope ya'll enjoy!!

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"Hey! Who's the new kid?"

"Yeah, he looks like a freak!"

"What is he, emo?"

"Why is he wearing so much eyeliner?"

The comments swirled around him, but he ignored them, his head down as he headed for his locker. Gaara knew he stuck out with his red hair and dark circles around his eyes, which were a pale teal, also odd. He didn't care what the others said, he could ignore them. He pulled open the door to his locker, pulling books out. It was his first day in a new school and he didn't know how it would be. Last year's first day ended up with him almost unconscious in a trash can. They hadn't found him for three days. He shuddered as he remembered that day.

"Hey! You're that new kid!" A hyperactive voice came from beside him.

Gaara looked over to see a kid with bright blond hair and blue eyes bouncing next to him. He turned away, ignoring the kid.

"My name's Naruto!" He sobered for a moment. "Don't you talk?"

Gaara snarled a bit as the kid kept bugging him. He finally pulled out a notebook and scrawled in it. "I don't talk to freaks."

Naruto squinted as he read Gaara's illegible writing. "Hey, I'm not a freak! I'm just a knuckle head!" he laughed.

Gaara had to stop himself from smiling at that. He shook his head, pulling his backpack on, turning away, then scrawling in his notebook again, turning back to Naruto. "You might not want to be seen with me. Bad things happen to those who do."

Naruto read and shrugged. "No one likes me anyways, and I've been going here for five years. Nothing could hurt my rep now."

"Huh?" Gaara blinked, staring at the kid, taking in his looks again. He was dressed in rumpled clothes that seemed two sizes too big for him. Gaara noticed the six marks on his cheeks that seemed like whiskers. _I wonder what those are. . . tattoos?_

Naruto grinned and patted Gaara on the back. "So! What's your name kid?"

He took a deep breath then said in a very soft voice, "Gaara."

"Cool! Wanna be friends?" Naruto asked hopefully.

Gaara drew back slightly, staring at Naruto. He struggled to speak, but failing, picked up his notebook again. "Friends?"

"Yah, you know. People who hang out all the time. Friends."

Friends. . . I've never had a friend before. They usually want to run. . . He spoke again, his voice as soft as the first time. "I. . . uh. . . guess so. . ."

Naruto grinned broadly. "Great! We can go to class together and pass notes when we get bored and eat together..." the kid went on and on, not even pausing for breath.

Gaara stared at him, blinking, completely lost and confused.

A tall man with his hair pulled up into a high pony and a dark scar across the bridge of his nose came up and laughed at the one sided exchange. "Naruto, breathe. Let this poor boy get a word in edgewise."

"Yes Iruka-sensei!" Naruto grinned, shutting up.

Gaara stared up at the man Naruto called Iruka-sensei, not saying anything. Iruka smiled at him, a gentle smile that had a lot of care behind it. Gaara blinked. He hadn't had anyone smile at him like that before. At least . . . not for a very long time. . . "It's ok if he talks. I don't mind."

Iruka's smile grew at the boy's low, soft reply. "All right then, but I'm warning you, give Naruto an inch and he'll take a mile. Also . . . don't eat ramen around him. He has the most annoying puppy gaze."

Naruto blinked. "Ah! Hey! I do not!! I just love ramen so I look pathetic!" he said annoyingly.

Iruka laughed at him. "Sure. You keep telling yourself that, Naruto. I have to get back to my office, but make sure you take care of yourself. I'll see you later, Gaara."

"Bye Iruka-sensei!!" Naruto waved as Iruka walked off, then turned to Gaara, who was looking at him. "What?"

Gaara scrawled something in his notebook. "You ARE pathetic."

Naruto blinked. "Er...thanks?"

Gaara shook his head, the shadow of a smile creeping over his lips. "What class do you have first?"

Naruto thought for a moment. "Er...Home Ec with Deidara-sensei...You?"

"The same. Why I even have Home Ec, I will never know. I can cook. I do it all the time at home." Gaara shrugged.

Naruto laughed. "Haha, yah, I know what you mean, but I don't think Deidara-sensei is going to teach us to cook." He grinned,

Gaara looked over at him. "What are you talking about?"

"He's obsessed with clay; he'll probably base the whole class on clay."

"Oh. That's . . . different. . ."

"Yah, he's different!" Naruto said, leading them to Deidara's classroom.

Gaara stared at the blond teacher wearing a pink, frilly apron. "Oh . . . my . . . god. . . "

"Welcome to Home Ec! Today we're baking clay!" Deidara-sensei smiled, holding up clay birds.

"Clay? What does clay have to do with Home Ec?" Gaara asked Naruto softly.

Naruto shrugged. "I dunno. It's Deidara-sensei; he's obsessed with the stuff."

"I heard that! And just for that, you two get a demerit, Gaara and Naruto." Deidara-sensei smirked.

"Aww, come on! What?! It's the first day of school! Give us a break!" Naruto complained.

"That's stupid, Deidara-sensei. A demerit for nothing." Gaara shot back.

"That's a double detention for you and Uzumaki -san! No more talking!'' Deidara snapped. Naruto pouted but kept his mouth shut.

"Leave Naruto alone!! He's not doing anything!" Gaara glared at Deidara, his hands twitching, sand snaking up around his feet.

Diedera turned around, glaring at Gaara. "Last time I checked, I was the one in authority here, not you. What I say goes."

"Uhhh, thanks for defending me Gaara, but I think it would be safe to stop talking now!" Naruto said nervously.

Gaara glared, then turned to Naruto. "Fine." His jaw tightened in anger, but he didn't talk any more.

Diedera grinned and turned back to the rest of the class, instructing them on how to make clay birds.

"Thanks." Naruto whispered to Gaara

"Sure." Gaara whispered back. He sat back in his chair, crossing his arms, shutting his eyes.

Naruto messed around, making a clay model of the nine tailed fox.

Gaara cracked one eye open, smirked, then modeled Shukaku, setting it on his desk. "There. Done."

Naruto grinned as the bell rang.

"All right! You're free to go! And remember, art is a..." Diedera paused, "BLAST!" he added as something exploded in the back of the room.

Gaara jumped a bit, his sand flashing up around him, then dropping, disappearing into his backpack. "Let's get out of here. What class next?"

Naruto nodded, leaving the classroom. "I have English with Kakashi-sensei next, then Math with Kisame-sensei...what about you? Then it's lunch!!"

Gaara fished his schedule out of his pocket. "Uh. . . History with. . . Jyria-sensei, then English."

"I'll see you after class! Good luck with Jirya-sensei."

"Good luck with Kakashi-sensei." Gaara replied, turning in the opposite direction.

So. . .If you liked it, please review. If I get three reviews, I'll post the next chapter and keep it going. Yup! Hope you like it!!


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